Price Paid:  $350.00

Summary:
I actually don't know why I still own this. I use the 4300 as a cd and mp3 player-when it will let me. Here are the problems after 2-3 years:

-It looks and feels cheap. (light as a feather and all plastic...even the faceplate which is made of faux-metal plastic)
-It is so damn loud! You can hear it when you put a disk in (click, click whirl whirl whirl), when it is playing, even when it is paused or just when the unit is on without anything playing (WTF??)
-It freezes up all the time. MP3's will blank out and stop playing. And if I see the display read NO DISK again I will personally destroy this machine with a hammer.
-It is incredibly slow. It takes a full 16 seconds from the time you press play to when it actually plays.

So that's the sum total of my problems with this. I hate it. Why do I still have it you ask? I guess I'm too poor and lazy to go out and buy another one.
But my question to Marantz is did they ever play this model themselves? It is the most underwhelming technical performance from the very beginning and it just get's worse. Every aspect the noise, pausing, and slugishness.

Sound wise it is pretty good although I feel that it seems to be trying to overcompensate with the low end so it's a little muddy. Perhaps because every other aspect of this player is tinny and plastic they have given it a fat bottom.

Don't buy it.

Strengths:
I guess its low profile appearance could be good and it sounds pretty good.
Easy to pick up and throw across the room when it reads NO DISK.

Weaknesses:
Too many to list. But number 1 question would be why the hell do you have to be so noisy and slow?

ojsguilty

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.67 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $350.00 from A&B Sound

Summary:
Well - here goes!

The marantz DV4300 was an insurance replacement for my Toshiba SD2107 - a great 1st generation DVD player.

My first impressions were that the Marantz was well built (metal chassis, brushed front face plate, etc.), and feature packed. At close to $400CDN list price, it was considered a 'pricey' model for the mainstream electronics superstores.

I took it home, but was dismayed that the picture quality wasn't nearly as good as the first generation Toshiba that had been stolen. However, audio output was pretty good and the unit was pretty easy to use.

Overall it seemed like a decent unit, but overpriced for what you got.

The troubles started just after the warranty period. Some discs would play, and some would not. Sometimes the whole unit would freeze up right in the middle of the movie, or it would just stop altogether. Other times, the picture would get all messed up and the only way to fix it was to turn off the unit, unplug it from the wall, and then plug it back in and start all over.

Finally, the remote sensor on the unit gave out. (the remote still works - I have a learning remote that has no problems 'learning' the marantz remote). So - now I have a DVD player from what used to be a reputable brand - that acts up when it wants, and I have NO remote capabilities - which means that there is no way to access any of the setup menus for the player.

Strengths:
- Lots of features (coaxial and optical out, analog out, composite, S, and component video)
- supposedly 'well built'
- sound quality

Weaknesses:
- picture quality
- issues with quality control / design / ?
- Marantz unit should not die this quickly (and I am not the only one with the above mentioned problems)

Similar Products Used:
Toshiba SD-2107
Toshiba SD-1700

gcouture

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
3.75 of 5, 4.00 votes

Price Paid:  $299.00 from Hi-Fi Centre (Montre

Summary:
I needed a reasonably good DVD player to complete my system. I am not much into home theater, being more of a traditional 2-channel audiophile, but nevertheless, there are times when you just want to watch a good movie. So I chose this unit partly because I had a good discount at my local dealer, because the reviews I read were reasonably good, and also because of the actractive slim-line styling that fits well into my existing system. The first unit I got was malfunctioning. After setting everything into place, tediously hooking all the cables, some of which must run under the equipment rack, programming the user interface (which is quite intuitive and comprehensive btw), I realized that, no matter what disk I put in, it would only read "No Disk". An audio disk would be even worse, and the player would just spit it out with an "error" message. I had no choice but to return it to the dealer. I had it replaced within a few days. I hooked it again, everything seemed to work fine, but then, I now had a malfunctioning remote control. Argh, does anyone at Marantz actually checks the merchandise before packaging? Reading some other postings in this thread, I believe Marantz's quality-control is in dire need of improvement. Anyhow, back to my dealer, I had the remote exchanged for their own store demo (I just wouldn't wait another week for a replacement). Fortunately, everything finally worked fine this time. These problems put aside, the player itself is quite good. The now de rigueur "Searching for Nemo" movie brought amazing clarity to my ageing, crappy Toshiba TV set. I couldn't believe how clear it was. Being hooked to my Arcam A85 amplifier, even in dual-channel, the sound was glorious and highly detailed. Makes me dream what it would sound like in a true 5-channel home theater. The remote's layout is clear and easy to understand, and the player, well, just looks good. Now I wonder why I waited so long to acquire a DVD. Out is the VCR! My conclusion: if you can get over the quality control issues, this unit is a real bargain, if you can have one at discount price, go for it, but make sure to double check everything and that you have a return policy (I was lucky I returned to my local dealer on the same day).

Strengths:
Superb imaging, excellent contrast and color saturation, even on old crappy monitors. Very comprehensive set of features. Excellent sound, on par with equivalent or higher-priced CD-players (playing DVDs that is). CD-playback is acceptable. Attractive slim-line design, well designed and easy to use remote control, detailed instruction manual. Compatible with progressive scan, also has Coax and Optical digital outputs.

Weaknesses:
Serious quality-control issues. The faceplate looks metalic, but is only plastic. At this price, I would have expected at least a metallic covering.

akerman

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $380.00 from Gadgetsuk (eBay)

Summary:
Just got it. Absolutely thrilled! Even on my CRAP 20" TV, I can clearly tell that this player is SO much better than my dad's dvd player (cheap brand). Audio is great. It doesn't make any noise when I fast forward/backward, like other players I have used. The icons that show when you press buttons look classy - a minor detail, but it adds to the experience. The front is plastic, yes, but it shines, and from a distance it looks like metal. The dvd tray is indeed a tad flimsy, but it doesn't bother me! The remote is pretty nice, and buttons are all logically placed - most frequently used buttons are within reach of my thumb. The zoom function is really nice too! And it loads discs quickly, and loads everything.

Strengths:
Looks Size Audio Picture (as far as I can tell on my TV) Price (for me at least) Can be made regionfree easily (via remote hack)

Weaknesses:
I don't think I have any.

Similar Products Used:
DVD players at friends, my dad's. Nothing high-end though.

Price Paid:  $325.00 from Bay Area

Summary:
My experience with the Marantz DV-4300 is quite unlike any I have had with other audio/video products from NAD, Adcom, Snell, Vandersteen, etc. Why? The unit I have "freezes" while playing a CD for anywhere from 1-5 seconds. Reasons? Unknown. For equally unknown reasons it comes back alive and continues after that gap, leaving gaps in your sonic experience that leave a bad taste. This has happened with about a dozen CDs, sometimes several times on the same CD and worse, several times on the same track. The user interface is clumsy -- trying to open/close using the front panel button can result in arthritis over time! Out with it and in with something else now. I expect these products to work, esp given their price points, and am frustrated with my Marantz experience

Strengths:
Slim form factor Good sound (when it works) Progressive scan

Weaknesses:
Clumsy interface Freezes while playing (see review)